Police said an armed man walked into the gas station about 10 p.m. Monday and demanded cash. Detectives said at some point, the man fired shots at the clerk before grabbing the cash register.

"Right now we are limited with information on what actually happened," said Chief Fire Investigator Greg Travis. "We're not exactly sure how this fire occurred."

Officials have identified the clerk as Gary Singh. He was being treated Tuesday at Central Mississippi Medical Center for burns to his back and arms, authorities said. Singh was not hit by any of the shots the robbers fired at him, police said.

Forty years ago, one of the greatest boxing matches in history took place in an unlikely setting: the capital of the Philippines. Muhammad Ali's epic win over great rival Joe Frazier in 1975 became known as the "Thrilla in Manila."